City delays Fifth Avenue demolition until owner and tenant contact confirmed

City community development staff told the Kankakee City Council Community Development Committee on Oct. 6 that the planned demolition of a building on Fifth Avenue will not begin until the city confirms that the property owner and an adjacent tenant have received direct notice and had an opportunity to meet contractors on site.

"Permits have already been issued for this, and the contractors are ready to go. It was just my call to wait till we have confirmation that the property owner and the tenant both know about this project," Barbara Brewer Watson said.

Watson told the committee the demolition contractor completed asbestos sampling and prepared an asbestos abatement plan because a resident lives approximately one foot from the party wall of the building to be demolished. For the second floor nearest the neighbor, the contractor plans hand demolition to avoid falling debris onto the adjacent roof. Certified letters have been sent to the property owner and tenant, Watson said.

Why it matters: the proximity of occupied structures makes dust control, asbestos abatement and clear communication with neighbors essential to limit health and property risks and to document notice.

Watson said the contractor will not set a start date until on-site contact is made so neighbors know who to call with questions; she said the city invited the property owner and tenant to a pre-construction meeting, but neither appeared.

The department indicated the property may be offered later through a request-for-proposals process after demolition and tax-clearance steps under the Strong Communities grant plan are complete. The committee did not vote on demolition timing; the department presented the operational plan and safety steps for committee awareness.